For incredibly tender and flavoursome meat, use heritage breed beef in this wonderfully British classic for superb results.
Method
Pre heat a heavy based casserole dish on the hob
Dip the meat into the seasoned flour
Heat half the butter in the pan and add the meat
Sear all over until golden brown
Add the puree & cook out for 2 minutes
In a separate pan sweat the vegetables, mushrooms and herbs,
then pour in the ale and stock
Pour this mix over the meat
Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and gently simmer for
2 hours or until tender
Once cooked, season the stew, add the remaining butter and tip
into an ovenproof serving dish
Preheat the oven to 190ºc fan assisted oven
Brush the edge of the dish with the beaten egg yolk
Roll out the pastry using as little flour as possible large
enough to cover the pie dish, cutting a small hole in the centre to
let out steam when pie is cooking
With the trimmings roll out a 1 cm strip to cover the edge of
pie dish around the rim
Lay the top over and pinch the edges of the dish so that the
pastry will stick to the rim and trim off any remaining pieces of
pastry from around the edge
Brush the pastry top with the beaten egg and place on a baking
tray
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden
brown on top
Serve with all butter mash, pickled red cabbage & extra
gravy